The first two stages of Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat III (sacrificers for the homeland 3) have taken place in the skies of Iran's northwestern provinces. The second stage included training in electronic warfare, according to IRIAF spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Chitforoush. The forthcoming third and fourth stages will entail strike practice missions and testing of various armaments.
Photos:
click photos to enlarge
F-4E Phantom II fighter-bomber
F-5F Tiger II air crew in the equipment room
Pre-flight religious ritual
Pre-fight check (note SUU-20 practice bomb and rocket
dispenser attached to F-5F's centerline)
F-5F Tiger II housed within its hardened hanger
F-5E Tiger II airborne
Lineup of F-4E Phantom II fighter-bombers
MiG-29A fighter on take-off
Flight of MiG-29 fighters
Su-24MK attack aircraft
F-7 Airguard fighter/interceptor
Foreground: C-130H Hercules transport aircraft
F-5 Crash
There was an F-5 crash during the ongoing exercise. Below is dramatic video of a civilian rescue effort for the down pilot:
Photos:
AliReza Sotakbar at ISNA
Mehr News Agency
These planes are sh*t. Not that even a modern air force would stand a chance against Iran's enemies. That's why Iran focuses on missiles instead, I imagine.
ReplyDeleteyou are absolutely right, Unfortunately Iran air force is nothing comparing with other airforces in region. but the real question is what fraction of a war is done by the air force!? if the war is going to be between Iran and US, even if Iran has a very advanced air force, the result is obvious and the Iranian fighters will be useless, but if a war happens between Iran and neighboring countries, the result is unknown. Why? at the final stage of the Iran-Iraq war, Iran has just 70 operational planes against 700 Iraqi planes but the result was nothing for Iraq. Now Iran has 300 operational planes and the neighboring countries has much less than 700 so the gap is not really wide and the result of the whole war is not deducted by the skies! The air force is priceless when US bring 1800 very advanced fighter with support from satelites and air born warning systems in a relative small country like Iraq. How many countries in the world except US, do you think could have this force?
DeleteWe still need a modern air force and missiles are of limited use.
ReplyDeleteThose Chinese F7Ms were forced on the IRIAF due to the sale of Chinese HQ1 ground to air missiles.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese insisted on condition they would sell HQ1 system if Iran purchases 30 F7Ms as well the deal was done in the late 1980s.
The Chinese F7M is an illegal copy of the Russian MIG 21.
"Those Chinese F7Ms were forced on the IRIAF due to the sale of Chinese HQ1 ground to air missiles.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese insisted on condition they would sell HQ1 system if Iran purchases 30 F7Ms as well the deal was done in the late 1980s.
The Chinese F7M is an illegal copy of the Russian MIG 21"
So what??? They still fly...And where did you get this insider info ?? We'll be happy if you could share with us...
Was that F-5 crash a planned part of the exercise?
ReplyDelete"The Chinese F7M is an illegal copy of the Russian MIG 21."
I think that you must mean an unauthorized copy.
Why or under what law would copying an airplane design from another country be illegal?
The Iranian air force is obsolete and these jets are 4o years old. They may still look good with new paints on them but as an strategic and tactical force theyhave no value at all. Non of them will have a chance against a modern air force (Presumably Nato or Israeli Air force or even the modern air force of the Persian Gulf states) They are just for show. Everybody with some basic knowledge about fighter jets can see that. The British are still flying some of their world war 2 spitfires, (In air shows) but it doesn't mean they believe they are of any value in a modern air force. Maintaining the 4 decades old F4 , F5's doesn't mean that they can be used in an air battle.
ReplyDeleteThe Iranian air force was struggling to cope with Saddam's airforce for the 4 last part of the Iran - Iraq war. How will they be able to seriously defend the Iranian air space now? That is just wishful thinking and propaganda by the Islamic regime.
To those ladies who consider everything not made in America as "Sh...".
ReplyDeleteNobody can re-invent the wheel !
A flying object is a flying object, the trick is to know how to build it first .. then better it according to your talents and resources.
Iran is doing very well indeed.
Bless Iran
Anon 6:15 PM
ReplyDeleteThose are the facts take it or leave it.Do you know some information that you can contribute?
Anon 7:29 PM
"Was the F5 crash a planned part of the exercise"?
No America had nothing else to do but send a special agent to shoot down a fourty year old plane!
Russia refused to sell MIG 21 to China but by a stroke of luck Israel obtained a MIG 21 from the defection of a Syrian pilot.The Chinese later on asked Israel if they could study the MIG.
Anon 6:55 AM
ReplyDelete"A flying object is a flying object"
So by your logic we might as well fly biplanes!
Compared to US NATO and some Arab countries we are not that far off !!
"Was the F5 crash a planned part of the exercise"?
ReplyDeleteNo America had nothing else to do but send a special agent to shoot down a fourty year old plane!
I doubt that Americans would shoot down an F-4. Americans have fond memories of the things as being very useful during the Vietnam War.
Retired old pilots probably still tell their grandkids about the time when F-4s, now too slow and hard to maneuver to be useful as fighters, were good planes.
the F-4s that Iran might still operate would not do very well against the 100 or so F-15s that the Saudis
could put up
The Iranian pilots would definitely need the religious ritual of passing under the Koran if they were sent up against the Nato or even Persian Gulf states air forces. But not even that would help !!
ReplyDeleteOf course not to mention the Saudi 70 plus Typhoons.
ReplyDeleteSo that's 125 plus F15 70 plus Typhoons with another 70 on order reinforced with their AWACS and Tornado's.
And what have we got 40 year old planes with steam age avionics!!
The mullah lovers would say that we have missiles but unfortunately for them they are of limited use.Example you can't send a Shahab to intercept a plane or ship etc.Also Saudi has US and Euro missiles as well and they are decades ahead of Iran's old junk.
I'm afraid to say that all this show is making us look more silly by revealing our old equipment on display.
"Of course not to mention the Saudi 70 plus Typhoons.
ReplyDeleteSo that's 125 plus F15 70 plus Typhoons with another 70 on order reinforced with their AWACS and Tornado's.
And what have we got 40 year old planes with steam age avionics!!
The mullah lovers would say that we have missiles but unfortunately for them they are of limited use.Example you can't send a Shahab to intercept a plane or ship etc.Also Saudi has US and Euro missiles as well and they are decades ahead of Iran's old junk.
I'm afraid to say that all this show is making us look more silly by revealing our old equipment on display."
It's incredibly stupid to compare Iran's airforce to that of Saudi Arabia's.
I seriously doubt the Saudis' "airforce" will survive a week if they find themselves under the same sanctions Iran's been under.Heck, we're talking about a country that can't even assemble bicycles let alone jet parts. A country whose very security is wholly controlled and maintained by foreigners. How did the Saudi "airforces" do against the rag-tag Houthi fighters in Yemen with all their fancy toys?
What people don't get is that, a lot of Saudi Arabia's military spending spree is their way of buying political influence in the west. The West is happy to sell them their junk knowing very well that they can't maintain it on their own thereby giving them more reason to suck more money from them and also it'll end up somewhere in the desert, anyway so why not.
Quantity-wise, yes the Al Sauds may have more fighter jets but can they fly/maintain them on their own without paying American/Pakistanis to do their flying for them?
The difference is that the Saudi planes wouldn't work without Americans there.
ReplyDeleteSo what is your point?
ReplyDeleteThe Americans will not abandon the Saudis and they will beat the hell out of Iranian airforce together.
"So what is your point?
ReplyDeleteThe Americans will not abandon the Saudis and they will beat the hell out of Iranian airforce together."
You're pretty naive to believe the US WILL fight for/with Saudi Arabia 'together'. The US only tolerates the Saudis simply because they see them as their petrol station.Ideologically and culturally, they're distance apart. Most of the 9/11 attackers where from Saudi Arabia. You think that fact is lost on US policy makers? They're bidding their time and in due time will take action.Pretty much like Qaddafi.
Anon 14 September 11:51 AM
ReplyDelete"It's incredibly stupid to compare Iran's airforce to that of Saudi Arabia"
Stupid is when you put your head deep into the sand and live in denial.
Back in the late 1980s Saudi Arabia shot down two Iranian F4 Phantoms over the Persian gulf with their F15s. Now that was in the 1980s so what do you expect Iran to do now?
"What people don't get is that a lot of Saudi Arabia's military spending spree is their way of buying political influence."
Compared to Iran that is a wise decision.Where Saudi spends money on latest technology Iran goes and spends it's money on terrorist organizations to gain ZERO political influence and technology.
"The West is happy selling their junk"
Didn't the West sell their "junk" to Iran 33 years ago and the "junk" is still flying around for the mullahs to show off with?
And if you call the latest F15s Typhoons and AWACS "junk" then surely you don't know what your talking about.But be sure that the western and Pakistani operated "junk" will shot the IRIAF out of the sky.
"Heck,we're talking about a country that can't assemble bicycles let alone jet parts".
Don't worry with their influence with the West they can buy all the technology they wish and let the Western technicians and Pakistani's build it for them.
For example the Euro fighter Typhoon which they will be building soon but hey that's "junk" right?
The problem with regime apologist is that they can't see beyond their noses and label countries that simply cooperate with the West as stooges or lackey and then claim that Iran is independent.
No country is independent now days least of of all Iran but if you people think that Iran can go around making enemies in the West the US specially and think they can prosper think again the Soviet Union being one of them collapse and they were much more advanced and stronger with 15000 nuclear warheads than Iran will ever be.
So take your head out of the deep sand and look at reality and except the facts.
You're pretty naive to believe the US WILL fight for/with Saudi Arabia 'together'. The US only tolerates the Saudis simply because they see them as their petrol station".
ReplyDeleteI can see you are a master in Logic.
Now isn't it in the Americans best interest to defend the Saudis and the Al Saud if they are US's petrol station? You people curse the Saudis for being the popets of the Americans all the time and selling them everything and at the same time claim that the Americans will not help them !!
Make up your mind !
You sound ridiculous.
$2.6 billion bank fraud that's how this regime is wasting Iran's money as well as the $18.5 billion ended up in an Iranian truck in Turkey.
ReplyDeleteThis is tip of the iceberg the amount this regime has stolen god knows how many brand new fighter planes Iran could've bought or built and modernized the military if wasn't for this looney regime.
God help Iran against the mullahs regime.